Leave the Leaves

Are you dreading having to rake your leaves over and over again this fall? Well you're in luck, because the "Leave the Leaves" initiative says you don't have to! 

We don't often think about the fall leaves covering our yards as serving much of a purpose; but in fact, they are massively beneficial for many reasons. So before you grab your rake and jump into the usual fall clean-up routine, consider leaving your leaves in place--it may actually be the best thing you can do for local wildlife.

1. Leaving leaves creates habitat for wildlife

One of the primary benefits to leaving your leaf litter in on the ground is that it provides crucial habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Insects and critters such as beetles, spiders, salamanders, lizards, and many other creatures use the decaying leaves and for shelter and a way to find food. In turn, birds, mammals, and other predators also find food amongst the leaves, making leaf litter an important place for many animals to find shelter and sustenance during the fall season.

One of the many benefits of leaving leaves during the winter is that you might find your garden full of butterflies in the following spring! many insects, including butterflies, have larvae (like caterpillars) that live under the leaf litter in fall. 

2. Leaving leaves supports soil and plant health

The decomposing leaves offer more than just a shelter for small critters; they also add important nutrients back into the soil. Decomposing leaf litter creates a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down. Animals, plants, and fungi that consume decaying matter, known as "detritivores", also help to break down the leaf litter, which helps speed up the decomposition process to make your yard's soil more fertile and thus helps plants grow in the spring.

If you must move your leaves from the lawn, considering using them as a natural mulch for your garden or in landscaping. Mulch can help mediate soil temperature by keeping plant roots warmer during the winter and cooler in the summer. Mulching also keeps the soil moist, which is especially helpful during hot weeks with little rain. Leaf litter is a free and eco-friendly mulch option you can use!

3. Leaving leaves promotes a natural landscape

Allowing leaves to remain where they fall can help promote a more natural landscape to flourish. Traditional lawns limit the amount of natural processes that can occur, and allowing leaves to stay is a fantastic way to encourage your yard to be more beneficial for local biodiversity and help support many more organisms than it otherwise could.

4. Leaving leaves helps reduce our environmental impact

Raking and bagging leaves contribute to the growing problem of yard waste in landfills. By leaving leaves in your yard, you’re helping to reduce the volume of yard waste that ends up in landfills. This small change in your yard maintenance routine can be a simple, yet effective way to make your lawn care more eco-friendly. And gas powered leaf-blowers are big polluters - not only are they noisy and disrupt the critters living in your leaves, it is also estimated that one hour of operating a commercial leaf-blower emits smog-forming pollution equal to driving a car about 1,000 miles!

While the temptation to rake up those autumn leaves is strong, especially if you’re aiming for a pristine lawn, there are compelling reasons to reconsider. By leaving leaves in place, you’re supporting local wildlife, enriching the soil, reducing waste, and fostering a more natural landscape. This simple act of letting nature take its course can have a profound positive impact on both your yard and the environment. So, this fall, think twice before reaching for that rake—your local ecosystem will thank you!